Chapter Thirteen
Ray
Maggie pads across the room to the kitchen as soon as the sun rises. She turns the water on to fill the coffee pot, staring out the window as it fills. When it runs over and she still hasn’t moved, I stand from the couch.
The second she feels me behind her, she turns, letting me pull her against my chest.
“I knew. I always knew it,” she says, crying quietly.
I don’t say anything, standing strong for her. Maggie has been holding onto hope against all odds. She’d held onto it by herself for many years, until one night while we were watching the sunset she confided in me.
Honestly, I didn’t think much of it. She lost her daughter, and in such a tragic way that I thought her feelings were normal.
When she called and asked me to take her to Katie’s, and then asked me to follow them, I’ll admit it worried me a bit. I thought she was making a little too much of Rachel’s letters. I’d even prepared myself to pick up the pieces when she finally realized her daughter was really gone.
“I know, baby, but don’t you dare start beating yourself up over this. This was the path she chose to take. It’s not good or bad. It just is. Be thankful you’re together now.”
“What do I do next?”
“You keep on loving her just like you always have.”
She chuckles sadly. “I’ve always thought about this day but never past it. I never thought about how it might affect everyone else.”
“Do you want my honest opinion?”
She tips her head back to look up at me. “I do.”
“Some aren’t going to understand. Others will. Some will come around. Others won’t.”
“Never mind. I want you to lie to me.”
I laugh. “Too late for that. Maggie, you know it has to be this way. The fair thing to do is let everyone decide for themselves.”
We hug for a few more seconds before she lets go and turns back to the sink. “Thank you for being here with me,” she says shyly.
This is my favorite side of her. I tug the tie from her braid and carefully unbraid her hair, letting my fingers trail through her stark white strands. It’s fucking beautiful. She remains still, watching me in the reflection of the window.
As I’m re-braiding her hair, I notice Jenny standing in the doorway of her room. I don’t stop what I’m doing. When I finish, I place a soft kiss at the nape of Maggie’s neck before stepping away.
“Good morning,” I finally say, leaning back against the counter. I want this girl to know that her mother has someone protecting her heart. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt, but if I sense any ill will toward my future wife, I’ll put the kibosh on all of this.
Maggie jumps. “Oh, Jenny, goodness. I didn’t know you were awake.” She continues to introduce us. “This is Ray. He’s my …” Her words trail off.
Jenny’s eyes stay on me for a second before sliding to her mother’s.
“I can explain,” Maggie begins to say, guilt pulling at her features.
I’m about to interrupt her, but her daughter beats me to it.
“I know about Daddy,” she says, lowering her eyes. “I’m glad you’re not alone.”
It’s not lost on me that she called him daddy. She was just a child the last they saw each other. She’s in a situation I can’t even pretend to understand.
“You don’t have to explain your relationship to me. Um, why don’t you both sit down. I’ll make breakfast,” she says, hurrying to the cupboards.
Maggie and I look at each other. Even though Maggie is her mother, at this moment we’re nothing more than two strangers to her.
Maggie continues to finish the coffee before joining me at the table. I take her hand as we watch Jenny flit around the kitchen with efficiency that only comes from familiarity. She’s been here a while.
How long has she been here? I want to know, so I ask.
Maggie’s brows pull together, letting me know she doesn’t want me to push her daughter.
This little girl needs a father figure. I want to be that for her … if she’s willing to accept it.
Jenny pauses for a second, but surprisingly she answers honestly. “I came here the week after Jackson was born.”
The look on Maggie’s face kills me. This news pains her.
Since we’re on a roll, I go with it. Let’s rip the band-aid off from the get-go. I think Maggie deserves all the answers, and she deserves them right now … today.
“Why the deception?”
Maggie pushes my arm lightly. “Ray.”
“No. It’s okay, Mama,” Jenny says, setting two plates in front of us. “Go on, get started. I’ll just fix myself one, and then I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Maggie glances down at her plate, finding a full breakfast. The girl has her mama’s flair for cooking. This looks delicious.
When Jenny lowers herself into the chair across from us, she finally answers my question.
“They threatened me, but that’s not all. I can’t blame everything on them. I … I couldn’t be a daughter, let alone a mother. I didn’t know if I could even … be.”
Maggie lets a little sound of distress out, covering her mouth. I pull her chair closer to mine and place my arm over her shoulders.
Jenny continues to tell us the story of how Rachel saw her when Jackson was born and how she found her on the bridge. How she saved her life … and then how she helped her escape it.
“I had to completely start over. I couldn’t bring anything with me to my new life if I was going to have one. It was the only way I survived.” She closes her eyes. “I … I didn’t like myself very much back then.”
When she opens them, I see her determination to come clean.
“Rachel sent a man named Bill to help me. Neither of us told him who I was, but I think he knew.”
“Wait a minute here. You knew Bill?” I ask. Bill was one of my best friends. He took my nephew, Dirk, under his wing and got him on the right track in life.
She nods. “He would talk to me about the club …”
Her gaze becomes distant, and before long she’s lost to her memories.